Miss Alabama Competes Sunday for the Miss America Crown

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/09/Hayley_Barber.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:340;s:4:"file";s:25:"2016/09/Hayley_Barber.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:7:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"Hayley_Barber-336x190.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:190;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"Hayley_Barber-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"Hayley_Barber-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"Hayley_Barber-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"Hayley_Barber-549x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:549;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"Hayley_Barber-468x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:468;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"Hayley_Barber-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:142173;s:14:"optimized_size";i:85534;s:7:"percent";d:39.840000000000003;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:53:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/09/Hayley_Barber.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:32394;s:14:"optimized_size";i:16547;s:7:"percent";d:48.920000000000002;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/09/Hayley_Barber-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:6678;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4971;s:7:"percent";d:25.559999999999999;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/09/Hayley_Barber-336x190.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:10572;s:14:"optimized_size";i:6688;s:7:"percent";d:36.740000000000002;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/09/Hayley_Barber-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:27854;s:14:"optimized_size";i:16635;s:7:"percent";d:40.280000000000001;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/09/Hayley_Barber-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:19682;s:14:"optimized_size";i:13410;s:7:"percent";d:31.870000000000001;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/09/Hayley_Barber-549x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:22020;s:14:"optimized_size";i:12634;s:7:"percent";d:42.619999999999997;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/09/Hayley_Barber-468x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:17286;s:14:"optimized_size";i:10411;s:7:"percent";d:39.770000000000003;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/09/Hayley_Barber-125x125.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:5687;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4238;s:7:"percent";d:25.48;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Photo Courtesy of The Miss America Organization
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

)
1680729372 
1473427335

This Sunday is the big day for Miss Alabama Hayley Barber as she competes for the Miss America crown. The Pelham native and UAB senior won the top state honor earlier this year and says that actually takes some pressure off competing at the national level.

“At the end of the day, even if I don’t win, I get to go back and still be Miss Alabama,” says Barber. “[It] is the greatest job in the world to me and something I always wanted to be was Miss Alabama and represent my state.”

On Tuesday, Barber won the Quality of Life Award which is given for impact in community service and volunteering. Barber’s platform is called “Sight for Small Eyes” and promotes eye exams for children. She says it stems from the fact she never had her eyes checked until she was 16, when she wanted a driver’s license.

“So I knew other people my age and younger than me were neglecting to speak up about their vision impairments because I did,” says Barber.

The UAB senior plans to study optometry with a goal of opening her own pediatric optometry practice.

 

See Barber’s tap dancing in the preliminary talent competition:

 

Crew of fatal US military crash included Alabama father recently deployed

The six U.S. service members who died in the crash of a U.S. military refueling aircraft included an Alabama father who had just been promoted and deployed. The U.S. government released the identities of the deceased service members Saturday.

Alabama poised to drastically overhaul utility regulation. Will it lower electric bills?

The Alabama Senate unanimously voted to expand the public service commission, and create a Secretary of Energy to address rising electricity prices. A bill in the House would go even further, requiring rate case hearings and limiting utility profits.

Musher from Alabama is going for back-to-back Iditarod wins

Riches and paid appearances haven’t followed Jessie Holmes since he won the world’s most famous sled dog race, the Iditarod, last year. He doesn't mind.

Bill would move Alabama to closed primaries

Right now, any Alabama voter can participate in a primary election. Lawmakers in Montgomery took up a bill this week that would change that system.

Auburn football player uses NIL funds to open a community hub in Birmingham

Jourdin Crawford, a freshman defensive lineman at Auburn, used earnings from a Name, Image, and Likeness deal to give back to his hometown.

Ivey commutes death sentence of inmate whose accomplice fired fatal shot

Charles “Sonny” Burton was sentenced to death for the killing of Doug Battle during a 1991 robbery. However, another man shot Battle when Burton had left the building.

More Arts and Culture Coverage